Contact details: max[at]ahoj.info

“Ahoj” and “Hello”,

My name is Max and I’ll be spending 2026/27 volunteering at Tandem’s Czech office in Pilsen.

Before we continue with the voluntary service, let’s talk a little about me and who I am.
I’m 20 years old and from the beautiful state of Hesse in central Germany.
Having finished school this summer with my A-levels, I now have a little more time for my hobbies, such as cooking and baking.
However, before graduating, I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want to go straight from school to studying at university!
Furthermore, I simply can’t start university, as all my desired degree programms won’t start till the year of 2027. Therefore, I knew I needed to do something meaningful in the meantime.

After a quick Google search, I stumbled upon Tandem.
Well, it was a perfect match.
Taking part in a project in another EU country with the important goal of connecting young Czech and German people, while still being not too far from home, was an opportunity I simply couldn’t pass up. What more could you want?

Moreover, I personally did not really have any contact with the Czech Republic, its culture or the people there. So I had to take that chance immediately.
Another major reason for joining the project was the chance to take on responsibility.
As the two volunteers, one in each office, we are expected to manage projects and work independently. Of course, the Tandem team is always there if we struggle with anything, but this first experience of true responsibility can, in my opinion, be a great foundation for further experiences in one’s career and help me grow as a person.

Therefore, I am looking forward to a year filled with new surroundings, meeting new and interesting people and overall a time, which I might never get to experience like that again!